Punjab civic poll on May 26, counting on May 29; elections in Hoshiarpur, Sham Churasi deferred

The elections for 104 local bodies in Punjab, including eight Municipal Corporations, will be held on May 26, State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari announced on Monday.

The nomination process for candidates contesting the elections would begin on May 13 and continue till May 16. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 18, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations has been fixed as May 19.

The State Election Commission has also ordered videography of the nomination filing process to ensure transparency during the elections.

According to the Commission, IAS and PCS officers from Punjab will be deputed as poll observers to oversee the electoral process across the state.

The counting of votes will take place on May 29.

The elections to Hoshiarpur local body would not be held immediately due to issues related to the revision of electoral rolls, said Chaudhari.

The commissioner said the elections in Hoshiarpur are likely to be conducted after four to five months once the electoral roll revision process is completed.

Apart from Hoshiarpur, elections to the Sham Churasi local body have also been withheld. According to the State Election Commission, the decision was taken due to issues concerning reservation of wards.

These elections are being held as a precursor to the Vidhan Sabha elections, due in a few months from now. In an electorally charged atmosphere in the state, where ruling AAP is politically on the back foot, with a resurgent BJP and SAD, and a Congress that is still weighing its options, these elections are expected to set the political order for the assembly polls.

All political parties would contest the polls on their own election symbol.

Official sources in the State Election Commission have told The Tribune that the revision of electoral rolls has already been completed. The final voter lists were published on May 5.

It may be mentioned that the elections to the municipal corporations of Bathinda, Moga, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Batala, Mohali, Abohar, Barnala and Kapurthala. Earlier, the state government had dissolved these urban local bodies and appointed administrators to oversee civic functioning till the time the elections are declared.

The elections are likely to witness intense campaigning by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, the Bharatiya BJP and the SAD. The civic polls are being seen as a crucial political test for all major parties in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.